Amsterdam - April 16, 2016

Amsterdam Canal

We have arrived in Amsterdam.

Blurry eyed and tired, but safely on the ground, we hit the ground running with our guide, Lya, (pronounced Leaha).  Lya reminded me so much of Rosemarie, with a cheerful sparkle in her eyes and personality plus.  Her enthusiasm about her country was contagious.  Even though she was probably close to my age, she had a beautiful bright smile and a youthful energy about her.  Lya rides her bike everywhere, as do 80% of the folks in the Netherlands.  

Bike Parking Garage

Lya is on bike number 23, as 22 of them have been stolen.  By the way, if we get out of Amsterdam without being run over by a bike ... it will be an absolute miracle.  Every time we step into the streets, we hear the little "ding ding" of a biker bearing down on us.  They come from every direction.  Each of us have had a close call, not only  from a bike, but we have to be mindful of the electric tram, scooters, buses, cars and trucks!  There is just a lot of motion here!   And there are bikes EVERYWHERE.   When they are not peddling down the roads, they are chained to a post or a bridge or even in a special bicycle parking garage. 

 

The "kid" mobile.

The Dutch take their families on their "stretch" bikes with kid boxes mounted in the front.  So in this land of bicycles, it's only natural that we would begin our bike trip in Amsterdam. 

Some homes are sinking.

Low lying Amsterdam is encompassed by countless canals which are lined with gorgeous trees, and rows of brownstone homes.  These homes are built on pilings and many of them are sinking, causing them to lean sideways.   

We began our tour of Amsterdam with a brief walk through the city en route to the "Rijks Museum," where our mission was to see various dutch works of art focusing on Rembrandt.  

Ellen's Favorite Cheese Shop

As I mentioned earlier, we were bleary eyed, so focusing on anything was a difficult task.  After about an

hour of working our way through the crowded museum, viewing the most important  paintings, we cried "uncle" and continued our walking tour of Amsterdam.  Ellen found a fabulous cheese shop with an adorable Dutch woman dressed in full costume from days gone by.  

Lobby Bar at Waldorf Astoria Hotel awaiting Susie's arrival.

Our tour concluded at the Lobby Bar of our hotel, The Waldorf Astoria, for cocktails and cheese trays, followed by retiring to our rooms for a good night's sleep.